About Gerald Beadle
Lived 1899 – 1976 (aged 77). Gerald Beadle was a radio personality.
Sir Gerald Clayton Beadle CBE (17 April 1899 – 6 November 1976) was a British announcer and administrator for BBC Radio, and later Director of BBC Television.
Life Beadle was born on 17 April 1899 in Belvedere, Kent, to Clayton Beadle (1868–1917), a chemist, and Helen Pears Beadle. In 1891 his father, with Charles Frederick Cross and Edward John Bevan developed Viscose, the first manufacture of a synthetic fiber.
He joined the BBC in 1923, as a radio announcer. He left in 1924 and rejoined in 1926 as station director in Belfast. He was instrumental in establishing the BBC's Television Centre, in London. and made a Knight Bachelor in the 1961 New Year Honours.
His portrait, a 1961 photograph by Walter Bird, is in the National Portrait Gallery.
He died on 6 November 1976, in Bath.
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Important facts
People in Gerald Beadle's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Gerald Beadle's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Gerald Beadle?
BBC administrator
When was Gerald Beadle born?
Gerald Beadle was born on 17 April 1899 in Belvedere.
When did Gerald Beadle die?
Gerald Beadle died on 6 November 1976 in Bath.
What was Gerald Beadle's occupation?
Gerald Beadle was a radio personality.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gerald Beadle. https://biography.guide/gerald-beadle/
MLA: "Gerald Beadle." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gerald-beadle/.
Chicago: "Gerald Beadle." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gerald-beadle/.
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